What holes? He was never developed for the retail line, he was the Sdcc item from day (if that clarifies)

Also, to clarify, I tend to get way to much "credit" sometimes. I do not just choose characters. I am part of a much larger team Including design, marketing, packaging, as well as our great partners at WB and DC. Together each year is planned out based around many factors including fan requests, costs, tooling, entertainment (ie what is going on in the comics, tv and film) as well as other strategic and logistical factors.

Not every figure will be for everyone. And I don't think it is at all odd fans want unreleased but shown figures. I feel the same way! It kills me that Toy Biz never made the Darkhawk 6" fig. I was just using an example to show why we don't announce things that aren't locked in. I wasn't implying fans wanting these items is bad. It's the total opposite! It was an example to illustrate my answer, not a commentary on the request.

Whoah, sorry to touch a nerve!! I never said you were the be all and end all of decision making, I know there are many fingers in that pie. We know not every figure will be to everyones liking, that was the beauty of the DCUC waves, even if you only wanted half the figures in a wave, you'd likely buy them all for the CnC.

But if you and your friends at WB and DC want people to buy your product, then you need to start listening to what they want rather than expecting them to buy what you want to push on them.

Fact is, you keep only making what you want to promote rather than what people are asking for, the line will die, and it won't be the fans fault!!!

What holes? He was never developed for the retail line, he was the Sdcc item from day [1] (if that clarifies)

Cool. Thanks for clarifying. But saying "we did not have a retail slot for another DC figure in 2013" and "Shazam is a figure that wouldn’t fit in the online line (because we don’t do New 52 in CIE) or the retail line (because no available slot) this year" implies that at some point someone questioned why Shazam was the SDCC item, considered the possibility of moving it to the retail line, and then checked to see if moving it was a possibility.

Also, if between yourselves, DC and WB you can't realise that in the year that celebrates 75 years of Superman, with a tent pole movie hitting cinemas, that this is not the ideal time to produce a highly fan requested villain like Doomsday in the line then you need to really look at your combined decision making and maybe have a rethink about how in tune you are with your fan base.

Does Doomsday need to be a 100% new tool though? I feel like a kit bash of the Arkillo and Validus CnCs with new hands, head and glue on pieces would work.Use the main body of Validus, Arkillo's arms and feet. The knee spikes and boot tops would be one rubber slip on piece. The chest spikes and back spikes would be rubber glue on pieces. Sculpt a new head and hands and belt. I don't know what to do for the elbow spikes, maybe drop the wrist articulation and do a whole new forearm and hand as one piece.That might seem like a lot of stuff, but that has to be less work and money than doing it from scratch.

I wanted to praise TG for actually coming to an interview with actual answers. Instead of the usual "maybe" " have to wait and see" answer we normally get.

And I liked most of the answers. Well, not "liked" all of the answers. But I liked that they were actually answered. wether I liked the answer I got or not.

But then it fell back to the tried and true "well, he are at the bare minimum"

ask yourselves this, TG. WHY are you at the bare minimum? Who's fault is that? The fans are there. The decision making at Mattel is making the fans leave their money in their pockets. Thats not our fault. We, as collectors, WANT to spend our play money. but Im not going to blindly subscribe for a years worth of $25 figures, when your history shows Im not going to be happy with my purchases.

so please dont spill that drivel here. It will never be accepted by anyone.

The rest of your answer came across as honest. if you would of made Doomsday an exclusive, or any of the highly demanded figures as an exclusive, people probably would of rioted. So Shazam actually makes sense.

I understand about not wanting to show figures and then not offer them up. Disappointing customers sucks. but you're doing that anyways, so what do you have to lose?

Here's what I don't get. What does the amount of sub holders have to do with what's being offered at SDCC? SDCC items were offered prior to a sub even being in existence & they always sold out. There are more people out there not buying a sub that would look at and potentially buy what was offered at SDCC. That's why people buy on eBay, BBTS, other online retailers, not to mention Day of sales on Matty.

And more importantly, if the sub is for us to get Classics...and that only classics will be offered...then why would those same sub holders want a New 52 Shazam figure? There is absolutely no logic in offering a New 52 figure to a demographic, i.e. the sub holders, that are buying Classic characters on a monthly basis.

Some one suggested using one of the big CnC bucks like Kilowog or Validus and gluing the rubber spikes on to it with a new head for Doomsday. That surely wouldn't cost too much. I think if they did a 2pk with Doomsday and a light blue suited Superman it would sell like hot cakes. Both have been asked for by fans for ages.

Sir Justin & Victory would be a good one to get, but you're probably right about getting more people to sign up with a Doomsday. Although, I see a lot of people happy with the Doomsday they already have, so Matty would really need to knock it out of the park with their version of Doomsday.

Just put a dang pre-order on mattycollector for figures that are "fan-demanded". Treat it exactly like Castle Grayskull. You don't have to sculpt the dang things until the pre-order goals are met. I know, for example, I'd be all in for a Granny Goodness or a Batmobile. I have no idea why not hitting the '2nd tier' on CIE subscriptions means this can't be done. If they did put up pre-orders, and not enough people signed up, then fair enough. At least they tried...you know?

Here's what I don't get. What does the amount of sub holders have to do with what's being offered at SDCC?

Actually, I wondered about the logic of that as well. In my opinion, if it doesn't make sense to sell a "classic" figure at SDCC, then the demand for the subscription of "classic" figures should not be used to gauge interest in an SDCC exclusive.

And using the subscription sales as an excuse to scale back on an SDCC exclusive doesn't make much sense to me, either. I've always thought that the exclusives were intended to be a special treat for the fans who made the journey to San Diego, not a cost-saving measure.

If I were an executive at Mattel, I would have upped the ante and made a Shazam/Black Adam two-pack for SDCC. That would have been a cool exclusive.